Each week, Ickey and Michelle will be sharing their adventures as they explore the vast array of natural wonders in their new hometown – the Bay Area.

Where there is grass, you will find them peeing on it.

Where there are open fields, you will find them running free.

Where there are parks, you will find them relaxing on the benches.

Where there is adventure to be had, you will find Ickey and Michelle.

Chillin’ in Bay Farm Island

Ten years ago, Beanpole and I packed all of our worldly possessions, which fitted comfortably in our Honda Civic, and drove to Las Vegas, Nevada. We had neither family nor jobs in Las Vegas. But we both dreamt of owning a home with a yard where we would raise a Golden Retriever who we were going to name P-.

We are back in the bay area and it’s time to start looking for a new place to live.

Swing Set

We both want to live in a safe neighborhood with a nice playground where our son can play on the swings. Check.

Walking Path

We also wanted to live in a place that had double tree-lined walking paths so we could walk Ickey and Michelle. The walkway also has to be wide enough so if Michelle have mobility issues in the future, we can use our wagon. Check.

View of the Lake

After living in the desert for so long, we wanted to find a place with some water. It’s not a necessity but it’s a big plus.

Ickey and Michelle Posing by the Bridge

Unfortunately, Beanpole and I both realized why we left ten years ago. Housing is super expensive. Thankfully, the last ten years have been pretty good to us. Hopefully we can afford something in this area.

Wish us luck.

We tend to celebrate youth and beauty, and fear wrinkles and old age.

I’ve noticed however, that as Michelle gets older, her lashes get longer and more lovely, her face gets whiter and softer, and her frailness makes her more endearing. Her beauty grows, not diminishes with time.

If she had laugh lines, they would measure how joyful this life has been.

If she had gray hairs, they would mark all the worries and obstacles she’s had in life and overcame.

If she had wrinkles, they would trace the journey of her life with each line telling a different story.

There is a definite beauty in getting older if only we viewed aging with wiser eyes.

Here is our lovely girl, going on 13, in all her loveliness and giving her Mona Lisa smile. =)

Michelle’s mona lisa smile

Every springtime, the plum tree in our front yard sprouts beautiful little pink and white flowers that last only a few days before the red leaves start coming in. The flowers remind me of the cherry blossom trees that are so famous in Japan. This year, we were able to catch a photo before they disappeared.

M&M in cherry blossom season

For those who have ever known the difficulty of taking doggie photos, you’ll be able to relate to this picture… of doggie butts!

Rear end views!

Michelle: ah. This is the perfect weather for a nice afternoon nap.

Michelle Sunbathing in the backyard

Ickey: I’ll sunbath as well.

Ickey & Michelle Sunbathing

Orderly: oh Ickey, you are lying on the rocks. Sometimes you can be so homeless.

Ickey & Michelle cuddling together for comfort.

The last couple of weeks have been tough on Ickey and Michelle. We didn’t spent much time with them since we were busy packing for our move to California.

Ickey & Michelle in Sunny California

We still have a lot of unpacking to do but we made time to take the dogs to walk around the neighborhood.

As I stand there watching the dogs, Las Vegas feels like a dream. I still can’t believed that there was a year where we had 4 dogs in our house [Ickey, Michelle, Heidi, and Bruce (our foster)].